Electronic diagnosis

Has a warning light lit up on the dashboard of your car, and you have no idea what it means? Don’t panic! Here is a handy and comprehensive guide to recognising car warning lights and icons.

New cars are keeping up to pace with technology, and today warning lights feature more and more new functions to warn us not only that the vehicle is working as intended but also that something is not working as it should. This is why it is crucial to have at least a basic knowledge of the type of warning lights installed in the vehicle’s ignition system.

A warning light should never be underestimated, but it should not be a cause for fright; they can help us to immediately detect and solve a possible problem, avoiding more serious damage.

So, here’s how to recognise car warning lights and icons.

CONTENTS

How to recognise car warning lights and icons: colours.

• Red lights
• Yellow or amber lights
• Green lights
• Blue lights

Car warning lights: the colours of the individual light.

How to recognise car warning lights and icons: colours

The warning lights in our car’s dashboard are visual indicators that help us to check if certain components are working as intended (whether the lights come on correctly or how much fuel is in the vehicle), and are therefore extremely helpful. Warning lights vary in colour (red, yellow or amber, green, and blue) according to how serious the reported status is.

Red lights

Red warning lights are definitely the indicators most dreaded by all drivers: they report an imminent danger to the car and warn the driver to stop the vehicle immediately. They are usually followed by an acoustic signal to indicate a serious problem.

Yellow or amber lights

Yellow or amber warning lights indicate that there are critical issues requiring attention, but they are less serious than red ones. They normally signal an anomaly or vehicle malfunction, for example, that the car is low on fuel or that the tyre pressure is incorrect .

Green lights

When a green light comes on, there is no need to panic: this colour indicates that something is on and working as intended. Some classic information indicated by these warning lights refers to the switching on of the dipped headlights or the turn indicators. 

Blue lights

Blue warning lights are not nearly as common as other indicators and are generally found in cars to indicate that the full-beam headlights are on. More rarely, in some car models, the warning light may indicate that the engine temperature is too low. 

The most common car warning lights and their specific meaning

Stop warning light: if the word STOP appears in red while driving, it indicates that you need to stop the vehicle immediately and seek assistance.

Coolant temperature warning light: if it comes on while driving, stop the vehicle immediately and check the coolant level.

Front seat belt warning light: it turns on if the driver or passenger are not buckled in.

Battery charge warning light: if it comes on while driving, it indicates that the battery is low or, instead, that the system is overcharged.

Hand brake warning light: it indicates that the parking brake is engaged.

Open doors warning light: it comes on if one or more doors are open.

Low fuel warning light: when it turns on, it indicates that the fuel is running out.

Engine failure or anti-pollution system warning light: should it start flashing, the engine speed must be reduced, and assistance must be contacted.

ABS warning light: indicates a fault in the wheel anti-lock braking device.

Preheating warning light: found in diesel cars, it comes on to indicate that the glow plugs are warming up and then goes out within a few seconds.

Airbag warning light: if it comes on, it indicates that there is an airbag malfunction and that you need to seek assistance.

Stability control warning light: it indicates that stability control is activated due to a sudden loss of steering control.

Parking lights warning light: it indicates that the parking lights are on.

Dipped headlights warning light: it indicates that the dipped headlights are on.

Front fog lights warning light: it indicates that the fog lights are on.

Rear fog lights warning light: it indicates that the fog lights are on.

Indicator warning lights: they indicate that the 4-way flashers or the right or left indicator lights are on.

ECO mode warning light: it comes on only when the ECO mode is activated. The colour may vary depending on the car manufacturer.

Full-beam headlights warning light: it indicates that the full-beam headlights are on.

Engine temperature warning light: the engine temperature is low. High revs and stresses must be avoided.

Identifying car warning lights and icons, and thus faults and malfunctions in time is of paramount importance for driver and passenger safety.

For this to be possible, the car’s electrical system must be working as intended: otherwise, some warning lights might not indicate anomalies that need to be checked, making the car – and the driving experience – unsafe.

MOTRIO TIPS & TRICKS

ELECTRONIC DIAGNOSIS

Nowadays, electronics are involved in many aspects of a car’s operation. In fact, you may have seen yellow or red warning lights and icons appearing on your car’s dashboard.

Electronic diagnosis is a key aspect of car maintenance; indeed, computerised analysis will allow the mechanic to accurately detect malfunctions on electrical and electronic parts of your vehicle and assess their condition and safety.

With this analysis, several operations can be carried out, such as programming and mapping the control unit to optimise consumption, checking fuel consumption, and checking that warning lights and sensors are working as intended.

OUR ADVICE

We recommend doing a check-up at least once every two years.

Some indications of a malfunction might be:

· Warning lights that come on randomly

· Sensor malfunction

· Inconsistent values in the car’s self-diagnosis

If you think your car needs an electronic diagnosis, make an appointment at the nearest MOTRIO Service Centre all it takes is a few clicks!

Car breakdowns may happen, sometimes when you are far from home: what can you do in these cases? Here is a little handy guide to know how to behave and how to signal your presence on the road

CONTENTS

What to do when the car has broken down

Warning triangle: how is it used?

Car breakdown: roadside assistance

Car breakdown: the warning signs

Holidays on the road, a leisure week-end, outings in the countryside or simply errands that require using the car: when travelling by car, there can be many different snags. Having a car breakdown is certainly one of them!

So, what should one do? What’s the correct behaviour to prevent the situation from getting worse, for instance by impeding traffic and putting oneself and others at risk?

Let’s find out together.

What to do when the car has broken down

In the even of a broken down car, first of all, one ought to keep calm and keep one’s wits about oneself: mechanical failures or malfunctions of electronic origin can hardly block the car abruptly. If while driving you notice a drop in power or you hear abnormal noises, you should try and reach the emergency lane as soon as possible, taking care to indicate your direction with the indicators, and ensure the road is clear.

If the engine stops suddenly, great prudence is required: you should not stop the vehicle, but rather use the residual inertia to reach the emergency lane. However, be careful: with the engine off, the steering wheel is much harder to steer because the hydraulic power steering stops working.

Once you have reached the emergency lane, or however after moving the car to a spot where it is not an obstacle for pedestrians and motorists, it is definitely not recommended to tinker with the engine, especially if you don’t have the necessary know-how.

The proper steps to follow are:

– Activate the four indicators using the red button usually located in the middle of every car dashboard.

– Pull the hand brake.

– Before getting out of the vehicle, put on the high-visibility vest as required by law.

– Do not get out of the driver's door, but use the passenger's door in order to stay as far away as possible from fast motorway traffic.

– Get hold of the warning triangle, usually housed in the spare wheel compartment under the boot, assemble it and place it on the emergency lane 100 metres from the broken down vehicle.

– It is also advisable to climb over the guardrail so as to be protected against any oncoming vehicles.

– At this point use your mobile phone to notify the Automobile Club or roadside assistance of the broken down car (the latest generation of cars also have an internal button to contact emergency services immediately).

– If you do not have a mobile phone, if the battery is low or you are out of range, then you need to walk along the emergency lane until reaching the nearest emergency telephone.

Warning triangle: how is it used?

The answer may seem obvious, but it is not uncommon to see motorists who use the warning triangle incorrectly to warn of the presence of a broken down car on the road, consequently making it useless. This device is essential for safety, and its purpose is precisely to warn other motorists of a potential danger on the road.

Car breakdown: roadside assistance

After putting on wearing ??? The reflective vest, turning on the four indicators and placing the warning triangle correctly, if the fault cannot be solved independently, then the pros must be called in. Before calling for paid tow trucks, remember that the towing service might be included in your insurance policy. If you are not sure, it is still advisable to check with your insurance (the service is provided anyway, even in the case of cars under warranty).

Any passengers who are in the car must also be taken to safety, they should get out of the car and reach a motorway restaurant or the nearest service area. 

If the area where the car has broken down does not have one, you should in any case ensure that these people are sheltered, away from the road, including the driver: so that you can all wait for roadside assistance in complete safety.

In the event you should be forced to leave the broken car parked in a no-parking area or in a paid parking lot, you must leave a written note on the dashboard: it is also essential to try to document the emergency as much as possible, including by taking videos with your mobile. This operation becomes important because, in the event of a fine, you can apply for it to be cancelled owing to force majeure. It is a complicated procedure but it will save you significant amounts of money.

What if you run out of petrol?

There might be the most diverse causes for a broken down car but the prime suspect is usually the fuel supply system. If for example, the car makes a noise but refuses to start up, the fuel tank might be empty. If the fuel gauge shows that there is still fuel, the tank float might be jammed. It can be checked easily: just add a little fuel to the tank and try to start the car again (indeed, it is advisable to also keep an empty petrol can in the car, to be used in case of need). However, it might take a while, because when the fuel supply system is completely empty it must first be ventilated.

If the tank empties too quickly, check for any petrol smells: the fuel line is likely to be damaged and leaking petrol. Another cause, finally, might be a malfunction of the fuel pump.

If you are unable to restart the car on your own, you must now call for assistance.

The warning signs

Are there any alarm bells that provide an “early warning” about any car malfunctions and that can prevent a broken down car? Of course!

Have you ever noticed an engine failure warning light  on the dashboard panel ? Well, that might indicate a malfunction of the whole mechanism... but even a simple problem with the electronics.

In any case, if the warning light is red, you need to stop the car and call the tow truck. If the light is yellow, you can drive on until the nearest service point.

Another cause for a broken down car, is the oil light.

It is therefore advisable – and even recommended – never to underestimate or ignore the “messages” that our car sends us, but not only: frequent maintenance of our car is also a must. 

It might seem obvious, but a perfectly efficient vehicle is the best way to steer clear of malfunctions and bad breakdowns. Carrying out scheduled servicing at an authorised workshop and never overlooking a warning light switching on in the instrument panel are signs of a “healthy” behaviour: if everyone did it, the number of broken down cars would be drastically reduced.

MOTRIO TIPS&TRICKS

ELECTRONIC DIAGNOSIS

Nowadays, electronics are involved in many aspects of a car’s operation, indeed you will have seen yellow or red lights on the dashboard of your car sometimes.

Electronic diagnosis is an important part of car maintenance; indeed, computerised analysis will allow the mechanic to identify exactly the malfunction on the electrical and electronic parts of the vehicle and to assess their condition and safety.

Thanks to this analysis, it is possible to carry out certain operations such as programming and mapping the control unit in order to optimise consumption, checking fuel consumption, and assessing proper operation of warning lights and sensors.

If you think your car needs an electronic diagnosis, make an appointment at the nearest MOTRIO Service Centre, all it takes is a few clicks!